Valve



Patented F eb. 26,1952

VALVE Fred McRae, Los Angeles, Calif., vas signor to Security Valve Co., Los Angeles,` Calif., a co- .Partnership ApplicatimMay .1.7, 1946, serial No. 670,488 Y (o1. lsv-153) 3 Claims. .1'

This invention relates nto improvements in valvesof the .check vali-'c :type designed tol automatically and positively .close when .the .pressure vof iiuidsupplied to the valve gfalls below a `predetermined degree.

'Heretofore valves of this general type have been devised wherein a diaphragm subjected vto pressure Within the `valve .housing actuates a latch to release the `valve .closure .andallow .the valve .closure to seat `whenever the pressure within the valve housing 4falls below the magnitude of `pressure to which the valve has 'been adjusted to operate. 11n .such constructions, however, the diaphragm has normally been v.diseposed on the side of thevalve housing `and with.- in a protective housing that .limits .its vextreme movements, .Such constructions .llave-'been unsuitable .for use in valves conducting liquids in that the liquid may passrom vthe vvalve housing into the `chamber `of :the diaphragm and ,to the extent to which ,it is trapped therein it interferes with the movement .of :the diaphragm. Consequently, in such constructions `the valve is slow to operate when theLpressureof the liquid has fallen below vthe desired amount.

An object of the `present .invention is to provide an improved Avalve .of this type wherein the .diaphragm is mounted on :the top ...of the valve lhousing and while its movements are .restricted to preventy `rupture of -the `diaphragm the entrapment 4of liquid onione side .ofthe diaphragm is avoided, thus -lenabling the valve lto be used in lines conducting liquids .and to be highly sensitive and quick in its operation.

Another object of the .invention is -to provide an improved .diaphragm .construction which-is so .designed as to avoid the rnecessity of punc- .turirlg .the diaphragm in .assembling parts therewith .thus eliminating leakage through vthe diaphragm.

With the foregoing vandother objects in View, which will be made manifest in the `following detailed .description .and speciiically .pointed out inthe appended claims, vreference is had to the accompanying. drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein: v

Figure- '.1 is a longitudinal vertical .section through .the improved valve embodying the present invention and Fig. 2 is a view in end elevationof the valve shown in Fig. 1, parts `beingbrol en .away and shown in'vertical section.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved valve comprises a valve housing It) having an inlet Il and an outlet l2. yThis valve housing is .2 adapted `to be 'incorporated in .a conduit or pipe line conducting liquid: valthough its .use .is .not restricted to liquids. .Within the A.valve housing there is a seat I3 .adapted toseat a valve .closure .i4 that is preferably .pivotally .mounted `as at I5 v.on a closure carrier 16. .'I'he .closure `carrier is pivotally .mounted by means of .a :transversely extending .pintle J1 -one .Lend of .which .is preferably squared vas indicated at .i8 yand .normally covered by a cap lil. While .the closure and k.closure .carrier may swing `.downwardly under the inuence of gravity to seat the closure on .the seat t3 a vspring 2s 4is .preferably coiled around the spintle llandinormallyurges the closure carrier into closing position. vThe closure and closure .carrier are'normally maintainedin fully open positionby meansofva latch 2l pivotally mounted at 22 within :the yhousing and having a nger 2S engageable Vwith the closure carrier l. The .latch is vnormally urged 4into a position .wherein its nger engages the closure carrier l5 by means .of acompression spring 24. The arm .of the :latch 4carries lan adjusting screw 25 that can-be adjustedupwardly orldownwardly and held in adjusted position by means of -a jamb Ynut 26. The .top of the .housing is closed by a cap 2l .retained on-.the :housing such as by bolts 28 that extend through companion flanges on `the cap andthe 'housing l5). Between "these companion iianges the edges of a diaphragm 29 are positioned. This diaphragm is Apreferably formed ci a flexible fmaterial such as synthetic rubber and has-positionedtherebeneath a metal ring 3D in which there is a large central-aperture surrounded by a downwardly bentportion 3|. The portion 3| kmay be engaged by the dia-y phragm 29 to limit the downward movement of thediaphragm and prevent itsbecoming ruptured under extreme conditions. On opposite sidesof .the diaphragm two metal plates '32 and 33 are provided which are preferably vulcanized directly to the diaphragm. The upper plate 32 carries a hollow stem 34 into :which `extends la guide stem 35 secured to a threaded plug 36. This plug is normally covered :by a cap 31. A compression spring-38 is 'compressed between the :plug 36 and the .bottom of thestem 34 and normally urges the diaphragm downwardly against the .pressure .of .the fluid admitted to the :housing .lil through inlet H1 'By adjusting the plug 36 the `compression of .the spring 38 maybe varied. Theguzide stem .S5 .which .slid-` ably-eX-tends into the .stem dserves to .guide the Vniovement ,of .the diaphragm.-

:The .operation `of ythe Valve vis .substantially as follows:

When .iluimd such .as liquid is supplied .to the 3 housing I through the inlet II at the desired pressure this pressure is effective on the underside of the diaphragm to maintain it in approximately the position shown. However, if the pressure of the fluid falls below a predetermined degree the spring 38 is effective to force the diaphragm downwardly until the lower plate 33 engages the top of the adjusting screw 25. When the latch 2| is swung about its pivot 22 and against the action of the spring 24 the finger 23 will disengage the closure closure I4 to swing downwardly7 and seat on the seat I3, thus preventing further supply-of the iiuid to the outlet -I2.

It will be noted that if the uid supplied to the housing I0 is a liquid and enters the space between the diaphragm 29 and the downwardly bent portion 3| of the ring 30 that such fluid may readily escape through the large central aperture in the ring 3| and does not block or re tard downward movement of the diaphragm when the pressure within the housing I0 falls.

The liquid that is thus escaping through the ring 30 also does not tend to tilt the diaphragm.

during such escape as liquid is descending over the inclined portion 3| equally on all sides. It will be noted further that as the plates 32 and 33 are vulcanized directly to opposite sides of the diaphragm that it is unnecessary to puncture the diaphragm in attaching'the stem 34 thereto. Consequently, leakage through the diaphragm is avoided.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the improved valve can be very easily and economically manufactured and assembled and may be advantageously employed in conduits conducting liquids wherein it is desired to shut off the liquid whenever the pressure has fallen below a predetermined degree. When the valve has once closed an intentional, manual, resetting of the valve is required to again open it. This is accomplished by removing the plug I9 and applying a key to the squared end I8 of the pintle I1 and swinging the closure carrier I6 upwardly against the action of spring 20 until the latch 2| is reengaged.

Various changes may be made in the details of description without departing from the spirit and an outlet which are aligned with respect to each other, the outlet having a valve seat coaxially arranged with respect thereto, said body providing a lateral chamber above the valve seat, a valve closure pivotally mounted in the lateral chamber adapted to assume an open position wholly within the chamber and wholly out of the line of flow from theA inlet to the outlet through the valve seat or assume a closed position against the valve seat, a latch pivotally mounted in the chamber engageable with the valve closure to hold the same in open position, a diaphragm in the top of the lateral chamber exposed on its lower side to the pressure in the body, and spring means between the diaphragm and the top of the chamber urging the diaphragm downwardly in opposition to the pressure to engage the latch and cause it to release' the closure when the pressure in the body falls below a predetermined degree a, coil spring engageablevwiththe -latch urging it into position f carrier I6 and allow the closure carrier and to engage the valve closure, there being an opening in the wall of the body into which the coil spring extends and a removable closure for said opening against which the coil spring is seated whereby on removal of'theclosure the latch may be caused to release the closure without the latch being engaged by the diaphragm.

2. A valve comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet which are aligned with respect to each other, the outlet having a valve seat coaxially arranged with respect thereto, said body providing a lateral chamber above the valve seat, a valve closure pivotally mounted in the lateral chamber adjacent one sideY thereof and near the valve seat adapted to assume an open position wholly within the chamber and wholly out of the line of flow from the inlet to the outlet through the valve seat or assume a closed position against the valve seat, a latch pivotally mounted on the opposite side ofthe lateral chamber engageable with the valve closure to hold the same in open position, a diaphragm in the top of the lateral chamber exposed on its under side to the pressure in the body, said latch having an arm extending over the valve closure in open position and carrying an adjusting screw arranged to be engageable by the under side of the diaphragm adjacent the center thereof, a compression spring disposed on the upper side of the diaphragm, an adjusting nut threadedly mounted in the top of the lateral' chamber for adjusting the compression of the l" compression spring, anda plug removable from to each other, the outlet having a valve seat coaxially arranged with respect thereto, said body providing a lateral chamber above the valve seat, a valve closure pivotally mounted in the lateral chamber adjacent one side thereof and near the valve seat adapted to assume an open position wholly within the chamber and l. wholly out of the line of flow from the inlet to the outlet through the valve seat or assume a closed position against the valve seat, a latch pivotally mounted on the opposite side of the lateral chamber engageable with the valve 1 closure to hold the same in open position, spring means urging the latch into a position engaging the closure, there being an opening in the wall of the body into which the spring means extends and a removable closure in said opening fon which the spring means is seated an arm on the latch extending over the closure, an adjusting screw on said arm, a diaphragm in the top of the lateral chamber exposed on its under side to pressure within the body, and adjustable Y- spring means within the lateral chamber acv and cause the latch to release the closure for closing movement when the pressure within the.

body falls below a predetermined degree.

FRED w. MCRAE.

(References on following page)V The following references are of record in the REFERENCES CITED le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 6 Name Date Haas Jan. 18, 1927 Hyde Feb. 26, 1929 Barnett Apr. 14, 1936 Hastings Nov. 12, 1940 McMahon Aug. 17, 1943 Schurtz Dec. 24, 1946 Glllan Mar. 8, 1949 

